Clara's POVThe location Lily shared was an ordinary sidewalk, somewhat removed from the hustle of the main road. What was she doing in such a quiet location? And what caused her to sound so panicky when she called me earlier?“Lily, where are you?” I called. I can’t see her anywhere.At that moment, I heard a vain woman's voice calling for help, and I immediately recognized it as Lily's. I moved closer to where the sound was coming from.Behind the wall that divided the settlement from the street stood my cousin, accompanied by a tall, robust man. The man was attacking her, causing her to scream like that earlier. He seized her neck, causing Lily to cry out in pain.My anger surged as I was about to rush forward, yet my instincts whispered a warning that he could harm me as well.I activated the camera and started recording as I moved closer to them. Directing my phone towards him.“What on earth? What are you doing to my sister? Release her immediately, or I will ensure this video g
Clara's POV"I’m sorry for the delay, ladies. The traffic was quite heavy on the way here. I hope everything is going well?" Keith approached us with a look of concern.Lily clearly doesn't expect to see him here. Noticing her tension, I held her hand a bit tighter and said to Keith, "The doctor said that Lily doesn't require hospitalization; she can head home tomorrow after settling the bill for the medicine and room."“Thank God,” Keith nodded. A sense of ease on his face, "There's no need for you to stress about the expenses."I glanced at him with a hint of confusion; I still had enough savings to manage it, so there was no need for him to step in like this."Thank you so much, Mr. Morgan," Lily answered quickly. I could feel she was still a bit uncomfortable with Keith being here, she might think he could harm her as well."Please just call me by my name. Lily, that's your name right?" Keith turned to Lily, and my cousin responded with a nod. "What happened? How did you end up he
Clara's POVThe next morning, Lily was finally allowed to go home. Keith insisted on driving her to my uncle and aunt's house. When Auntie Jena asked, Lily said that she was hit by a car, she didn’t want them to know what really happened."Thank you, Clara, I can't imagine what would have happened to Lily if you hadn't arrived on time. And please send my gratitude to Mr. Keith Morgan for his generosity." Uncle Thomas said.Auntie Jena guided Lily up to her room, leaving me alone with Uncle Thomas. I felt a sense of ease because he appeared much more inviting than during my last visit. "You're welcome uncle, please take good care of Lily."After chatting with him for a while, I went back to the car where Keith was waiting.“I will drive you to your apartment, is the address still the same? Or do you want to go somewhere else?” He asked.I tensed but I quickly masked it, "Please drop me off right in front of the restaurant. Thanks again for all your help.""Did you begin your shift tod
Clara's POVI know we were both taken aback by our unexpected encounter, but Zoe caught on first and swiftly altered her expression."Clara? What a surprise to see you in a place like this! And looks who did you come with, my future brother-in-law."Even without turning my head, I could feel Keith's intense stare directed at James and Zoe; he didn't like the way Zoe addressed him. Zoe's gaze then locked onto the pink dress we were about to select earlier. "This one! I found it! This is what I want James, Can I have this dress please?"She turned to James, circling her hands on his arm, making sure that he would give her what she wanted. James nodded and ordered the dress to be packed right now. As I realized that Keith was on the verge of protesting, I reached out and placed my hand on his arm, yet it felt like there was nothing I could do to hold him back now."This one is for Clara only, Zoe. I've already picked it for her first. You can choose another dress." Keith said to her, ca
Clara's POV"I want you dead right now!" Zoe's voice was throaty, now she was no different from someone who just lost her sanity. “Get out of my and James' life you parasite!"I lifted my hand to protect myself from her strike, and while my hand wasn't entirely safe and ended up with a few scratches from her, at least my face was untouched."Stop it Zoe!" I pressed my lips together, trying to suppress the pain I felt. I couldn't just stay silent, I couldn't let Zoe do this to me."Stop it!" I exclaimed.Zoe continued to mutter some curses at me, and when she let her guard down, I quickly seized her wrist."Stop it Zoe! You can't hurt me like this, I just want to solve this problem properly."She finally calmed down. Her blond strands tumbled across her face, giving her a messy appearance."Solve it properly? After being insulted like that right to my face? You wish! You have to pay what you just did!""Zoe, Keith was just acting on impulse in a moment of emotion because—" I hesitated,
Clara's POVIt was so easy for James to hurt me like this, without caring about my feelings at all. The door opened, Keith's gaze locked on me, and then to James. He walked over and then pulled me to his side, distancing me from his brother."Don't touch Clara James, you just want to hurt her. Don't you know that Clara is-" Keith paused for a moment. My heart was beating twice as fast, he almost revealed to James that I was pregnant.James turned his attention to his brother "This woman has tried to hurt my wife. And anyone who dares to hurt my wife will have to deal with me."Keith stole a glance at Zoe, who immediately placed her hand on the spot where her shoulder had grazed the glass, her face turned into a look of pain and hurt. But it seemed that it wasn't easy to fool Keith. Keith turned to me instead, he examined my condition as if to make sure that I was okay. When I smiled, he gave me a reassuring nod as if to assure me that he was on my side."Open your eyes James. You ca
Clara's POV"Wishing you all the best, Grandpa," James said curtly. He offered a cold smile, while Zoe made every effort to appear warm and likable to the old gentleman"Happy birthday Mr. George, It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person. James told me how thoughtful and compassionate you are, and it truly feels like an honor for me to attend your birthday celebration." Zoe said with a sweet smile plastered on her face.But Mr. George didn't spare her any attention, he didn't even thank her. He looks confused and displeased as he looks at his grandson. "Who is this lady, James? Why did you bring her to my birthday party?"I think since they started dating, James has yet to introduce Zoe to his family, which explains why his grandfather appeared not to recognize her. Well, given how Mr. George is very strict when it comes to accepting new people into his circle, James must be waiting for the right timing."Grandpa, let me introduce you to Zoe Sinclair, my wife. We will hold our w
Clara's POV"I swear I had it on tonight; I never really take it off, you know. I take it along with me no matter where I am." James' mother's voice wavered.Behind her panic, I could see a guilt stemming from the fact that the necklace had been a gift from James's father to her.So losing it, a cherished gift from her late husband, must have been so heartbreaking for her.In that instant, our previous conversation faded away as everyone in the room quickly focused on what Mrs. Iris Morgan said."I have to find it. I can't live without it.""You must have dropped it somewhere without realizing it, Iris." Said Mr. George. "You've been busy welcoming our guests since evening."But Mrs. Iris only shook her head, and I could see tears beginning to well in her eyes."No father, I'm sure I'm not that careless."Zoe, who was standing beside James, moved to take her place beside Mrs. Iris and offered a sympathetic smile. She rested her hand on the elder woman's shoulder and said reassuringly.
Keith's POVHave you ever felt that moment when you finally get what you want, yet it leaves you with an emptiness? The satisfaction, happiness, and sense of victory that should have accompanied it, seem to just vanish into thin air.I feel completely empty, lacking any sense of fulfillment even after finally being able to breathe the fresh air outside the damned cell. This should be the moment for me to go ahead and carry out my plan. Without Clara by my side, the spark of life within me has... faded away.What did I do wrong?What did I do to deserve her hatred?Maybe, I have gone too far. But believe me, I did this solely because I wanted her to return to me, as she was meant to. Clara belongs to me.Back in those times when my brother treated her more like a disgrace than a wife, I was always there by her side. I knew that her life had been never easy, so I ensured that in our fake and cold social sphere, she had at least one person she could truly call a friend.This feeling tha
Clara's POVI finally met up with Lily on the same day. But not at the penthouse where her friend took her; instead, it was at one of the cafes. Lily said that her friend is somewhat shy and doesn't like to meet new people. I don't mind about the meeting location, as long as I can finally see her and make sure she's okay."Clara," Lily got to her feet as soon as I got to her table. I was silent, completely at a loss for words. What left me utterly speechless wasn't her, but rather her 'friend.' So this is the man she has been calling friend all along? I needed to raise my gaze when he finally got up. I'm not sure of his exact height, but it's pretty obvious that he's around 6,7 feet tall. He's so handsome, but not in the typical way that most looks. I have no idea where Lily even met him. "Hey, you must be Clara. Great to meet you." He said, reaching out his hand. I accepted his handshake even though the way he was looking at me made me feel a shiver down my spine. It feels like
Clara's POV"We’ve located the address. It's still in New York." James said. I quickly got up and made my way over to him and his subordinates who assisted us in locating Lily. Since I didn't have much information about her actual location, we just tracked her using the number she called me. I have no idea whose number it was. James shared with me the outcome of Lily's whereabouts. And sure enough, it's still in New York City. I narrowed my eyes, spotting the spot where the phone number was located. The area felt somewhat familiar.I realized it's due to its spot in the city center; the location is pretty upscale. But Lily mentioned that she was kidnapped. I never even thought about this place before. The person who kidnapped her definitely wasn't poor; they could afford to live in that neighborhood. "Do you happen to know anyone who lives there, Miss? Could it be her friend?"I just shook my head. Unfortunately, I don't know who Lily's friends are around here. I don't have their
Lily's POVAshley snatched the phone from my hand just as I was about to wrap up my conversation with Clara. Shit! “You said you were only going to order food? Who did you just ring up?" She asked, her voice raised. "I-" For a moment, I found myself hesitant, too anxious to answer after just being caught red-handed. But suddenly, it dawned on me that I really shouldn't have. Cause there's no chance I'm sticking around here forever, right? Iits my right if I tried to find a way to escape this place.I don’t need to be scared. Especially since Dominic's actions went against my wishes. I can't just accept this and remain quiet. I have to stand my ground. "Answer me." "Yes!. I just called the cops!" I responded with just as much intensity. Ashley was mistaken if she thought I would feel intimidated simply due to my status as a captive. She just confronted Lily Russel. She had no idea how headstrong I could be. “Cops?”"Yes! Soon they'll come and arrest your master. Does he believ
Clara's POVWhen I woke up, my body was aching. I spent a few minutes stretching before getting up to check on Layla. She was still asleep, so I went to the kitchen to get a drink and then headed to the living room. I settled into the couch, my gaze locked on the door.I was kind of hoping it would open and that Lily would appear. She really should have come back to let me know that she was okay. Instead of just vanishing without any trace.Lily already mentioned she wouldn't be staying in my apartment forever, but she hasn't said when she's planning to move out. I didn't expect that she would move out this quickly, especially without giving me a heads-up. Opening my phone, I tried to dial her number. "Can you please answer it, Lily?" I began to feel that anxiety creeping back in.Once more, an automated voice picked up the call. I didn't have the number for her friend to reach out to and I had no idea where to find her. She really shouldn't have just vanished like this.Her careles
Lily's POVMy head hurt, I blinked a few times, trying to lift myself. I reached out for anything nearby to steady myself."Ouch, what just happened to me?" I rubbed my temples. It feels just like that moment when I dozed off at three in the afternoon and woke up all confused. I can't even tell if it's day or night. I can't even tell where I am right now.I shifted my gaze to the unfamiliar room around me. This isn't Clara's place. I didn't even like the apartment I checked out to live in. This feels like it’s straight out of a penthouse, something I could never dream of affording. How did I end up here in the first place?I tried to remember what was happening before I lost consciousness and the memory slowly came back into my mind. Oh, god....Keith Morgan came to Clara's apartment. He claimed that he wanted to see me. And then...That dick! He drugged me! He applied something to that cloth that caused me to pass out. Before he did, I recall him mentioning that someone wanted to m
Lily's POVA week later.I got back to Clara's apartment in NYC three days ago. Clara, James, Layla, and I are heading back to New York today. I had to leave before them because of some things I needed to take care of. I just finished my shower and answered a call from my mother, she asked how everything was going. Before I left LA, I told them that besides meeting Clara, I was going to look for a job here. It wasn't a lie, I want the opportunity to work in this city.My phone buzzed with another incoming call. “What’s up, Josh?” I nervously bit my tongue, waiting for his response. Why did he call me? Is it related to that man again? "Are you still in Italy?" "No. I'm back here again. What is it?" “Sounds good, let’s meet up. I have so much I want to share with you."“Yeah, of course.”I'll head to the airport to pick up Clara in the evening and I don't have anything planned for today beside it. It's still early, and rather than sitting here feeling bored, why not take Josh up on
Selena's POVAs soon as I received a call from Mrs. Iris Morgan, I grabbed my purse and headed downstairs right away. I hopped in a taxi to her penthouse and told the driver to speed like the wind. Keith is free.Can you even believe that? At last, he's out of prison. I'm not sure what finally clicked for James Morgan and made him see things differently. I'm glad he finally understood that his actions towards Keith were unacceptable. How could he possibly lock up his brother just for that woman?As soon as I got there, I settled up with the driver and made my way to Iris's floor. As I reached the door, I pushed it open just like she instructed and stepped into the main room. Seeing Keith there made my heart burst with joy. I held back the impulse to shout with happiness and strolled over to him."Keith!" I exclaimed, "Oh thank God! You are finally free! You finally made it out of that awful place! At last, James had a change of heart and let you go!" I couldn't hold back my joy, s
Clara's POVThe dinner was great. I have no regrets about accepting James' invitation. He's sticking to his word about just wanting to have dinner together and nothing more. And now, we’re strolling through the vast green fields that stretch out on either side of us. Pine trees standing tall, white cobblestone path under our feet."What does Layla think of this trip so far? Is she feeling happy?" James asked. As I glanced over at him, I noticed a worry etched on his face. “She is.” He probably noticed it on his own. Layla hasn't stopped smiling since we got here. I'm thankful that I agreed with James when he decided to invite her on this trip. Took a break from my hectic daily routine and flew to this gorgeous place made me feel like I didn't want to go back. Why can't I just stay here forever? I took out my phone to snap some pictures of the stunning scenery when I heard James ask. "How about you?""Sorry, what did you just say?" I wasn't quite catching what he was asking abou